1. Final Exam Wednesday, 6/8

2.  Legislative Branch Congress

3.   Made up of the House of Representatives & Senate  Elections held the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years  Sole power to declare war  Committees divide the work of Congress  Sessions are the regular period of time that Congress conducts its business Congress

4.  House vs. Senate House of Representatives  435 members based on population – at least one from each state  2 year terms  Impeachment  Speaker of the House 3 rd in line to succeed the President Senate “Upper House”  100 members – 2 per state  6 year terms  Make/reject appointments  Fewer limits on debates  Chosen by the people of each state (17 th amendment)  Vice-President presides

5.  Executive Branch The President

6.   “Department” is used to define agencies of cabinet rank  White House Office advises the President on foreign, domestic, and defense matters  Executive office helps the President carry out chief executive duties  Civil Service recruits and keeps best people in the federal workforce Quick Facts

7.   President’s powers debated because the Constitution provides a loose definition of powers  White House Office advises the President on foreign, domestic, and defense matters  Executive office helps the President carry out chief executive duties  Civil Service recruits and keeps best people in the federal workforce Quick Facts

8.   Electoral College chooses the President – popular vote does not always win  Treaties need Senate approval, executive agreements do not  Bureaucracies use hierarchical authority, job specialization, and formal rules to organize  Number of executive agencies have grown because the federal government expanded as the country grew Quick Facts

9.   Must be 35 years old, “natural-born” citizen, lived in the U.S. for 14 years  Maximum number of terms is 2, maximum number of years is 10  25 th amendment determines how the President is replaced if he is disabled  Recommends legislation to Congress  Can refuse to sign bills and attach a veto message to stop a bill from becoming a law President

10.  Judicial Branch Court System

11.   Marbury v Madison established judicial review  Judicial review is held by all state and federal courts  Magistrates issue arrest warrants, set bail, try some cases of minor offenses  Marshals make arrests, secure jurors, and serve legal papers  Jurisdiction limits which court can hear a case Quick Facts

12.   No national judiciary was created in the Articles of Confederation  National court system needed because states were interpreting the laws for themselves  Independence of judiciary protected by how federal judges are chosen, terms they serve, and salaries Quick Facts

13.   Supreme Court is the highest in the U.S., last court where a case can be heard  Appeals Courts (“gatekeeper”) relieve the workload of the Supreme Court, hears appeals and considers cases from regulatory agencies  District Courts have original jurisdiction over most cases heard in federal court, they have the heaviest workload and usually has original jurisdiction over federal court cases Courts

14.   Federal judges are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate  Special courts only hear specific kinds of cases (tax courts only hear tax issues)  Constitutional court judges are appointed for life terms Judges

15.  Public Policy

16.   Churches cannot be taxed  Largest source of federal revenue is income taxes  Progressive taxes go up when income increases (individual income taxes, corporate taxes)  Federal government can tax any activity that Congress believes is harmful or dangerous to the public Taxes

17.   Deficit financing is when the federal government spends more than it brings in  Historically money was borrowed in times of long/short term crisis  Measured in the trillions Debt

18.   Social security and interest on the public debt are largest categories of spending  Federal budget determines which public programs will have money to operate  INS issues work permits to immigrants, grants asylum to political refugees and prepares applicants for citizenship Spending

19.   UN created to save future generations from war  Secretary of State is the President’s chief advisor in foreign policy  Secretary of Defense advises the President on the formation and carrying out of defense policy  Foreign policy since the Cold War has changed because of new threats to world security  U.S. offers foreign aid to struggling democracies and countries important to our foreign policy Foreign Policy

20.  Civic Participation Essay

21.   People are given the right to vote  Media gives citizens information  Citizens make up the civil service (government workforce)  Government uses social media  Volunteer options How has government attempted to involve Americans in politics and how can citizens get involved?